Food & Garden

From Candy to Costumes, These Are The Easiest Eco Friendly Halloween Swaps

published on October 19, 2023 by Mindy Chung

As much as I love hot girl summer, nothing gets me quite as hyped as spooky season… I think it’s something about the joy it sparks for my inner child? I loved trick-or-treating as a kid because of all the candy I brought home, and Hocus Pocus just hits different this time of year. (As an adult, I obviously buy my own candy, but girl math means that getting it half-off after the holiday basically makes it *free.*)

Now chances are, unless you have something against Halloween, you like to dress up, decorate and/or entertain for October 31^st. And whether you’re planning on trick-or-treating, decorating for trick-or-treaters, or hosting a costume party, you know how overwhelming it can be to prepare. It’s a lot of moving parts for one night of the year. Which is why it’s understandable that most people buy expendable goodies for the holiday and then toss them November 1^st.

But we’re in our sustainable girl eras, and we know we can do better. So I’ve compiled a list of different Halloween elements you can replace this year with eco-friendly alternatives!

Eco Friendly Candy Swaps

Unreal

You can find Unreal snacks at most major grocery stores nowadays. They sell candy with simple ingredients, significantly less sugar, and sustainably sourced palm oil. And while they do still package in plastic, you can take the extra step to recycle through TerraCycle or a disposal service like Ridwell!

Alter Eco

Alter Eco is a certified B-Corp that has worked to create a carbon-neutral product and close the loop on their manufacturing process. They sell fair-trade, organic chocolates packaged in recyclable or compostable wrappers. If you love Lindt, you can grab a box of 60 truffles in 9 flavors for passing out (or stashing away).

Seattle Chocolate

Seattle Chocolate’s truffles come in nearly endless flavors, from classic milk chocolate to espresso and even a pop-in-your-mouth pink bubbly. These individually packed chocolates come in a rainbow of colors, making them fun to hand out to trick-or-treaters or just display in your Halloween party candy bowl. Their chocolate is ethically and sustainably sourced (Rainforest Alliance certified), their wrapping is home compostable, and the whole company is carbon neutral! They ship nationwide and can be found in stores across the US.

Glee Gum

I would never want to deprive any child of the rite of passage that is Dubble Bubble gum. But if you want to switch it up for an alternative that’s all-natural and sustainably packaged, Glee gum sells 12-packs of regular and sugar free gums in 10 flavors!

Palm Free Chocolate

If you’re looking to go the extra mile this Halloween, opt for palm-free chocolate in your candy bowl. See why you may want to skip the traditional palm-oil laden candy brands here, and find a whole list of our favorite palm-free chocolate companies in this guide too!

Halloween Décor Swaps

Pumpkins

What’s really spooky is how much plastic goes into achieving those fall vibes this time of year. Where are my Trader Joe’s girlies at?? This is your Bat Signal—TJ’s mini gourds are the perfect, eco-friendly and affordable way to decorate your home and porch this season. They, along with the traditional pumpkin, can be disposed of sustainably in a number of ways.

Bonus points if you make it to a local pumpkin patch or farmers market for your “living” decor. Just remember… if it was outside on Halloween, it’s NOT good to eat.

Lights

I know that we love creating an immaculate ambiénce, and lights are an integral part of setting the mood! LED and solar-powered lights are an easy swap for the traditional plug-in this Halloween. You can get smart solar string-lights and change the color to match different holidays (i.e. Halloween and Christmas), or opt for rechargeable or recyclable batteries for LED lights.

Candy Pails

Ditch the plastic candy pail this year! Besides the obvious at-home alternatives like a pillowcase or reusable tote, there are adorable felt buckets you can use instead (or make if you’re feeling crafty).

Eco Friendly Halloween Costumes

Face Paint

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! If you’d rather spend time perfecting your face than wearing a costume this Halloween, Natural Earth Paint sells jars of face paint that are free of heavy metals, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, and petroleum-based dyes. All paints come in recycled packaging, home compostable paint pouches, or glass you can reuse after emptying the jar.

Face Glitter

With Barbie likely being a Halloween favorite this year, it’s a good time to remind everyone that regular craft glitter is NOT meant to be used on your face. It can contain toxic chemicals and be made from harmful plastic or metal particles. Always look for glitter that is marked as “cosmetic-grade” and ideally biodegradable like BioGlitter®. While you can find BioGlitter® at a number of retailers, Moon Shatter makes a point of packaging their products in reusable glass jars.

Costume Tips

There’s a reason Spirit Halloween makes over a billion dollars annually. People love dressing up, and popular costumes change year to year. But you can opt for a low-waste holiday this season by thrifting, reusing an old costume, or swapping with friends and family. Most of us have at least one old costume collecting dust in our closets anyway… why not organize a swap among friends? Get creative! There’s no reason anyone should have to justify spending $50+ on an outfit they wear for less than 12 hours.

Which eco friendly Halloween tips would you add to this list? Let us know below!

Okay So There Are Microplastics in Our Food… What Should We Do?

updated on February 3, 2023 by Mindy Chung

When Barbie Girl by Aqua became a 1997 anthem, we didn’t really know what we were saying by joyously chanting “life in plastic… it’s fantastic!”. Here we are 25 years later, bearing the brunt of microplastic pollution as it filters its way into every aspect of our daily lives. Avoiding bottles that don’t say they’re BPA-free isn’t enough anymore; there are microplastics in food from our vegetables to our milk and even our tap water.

Now, I’m not trying to be an alarmist—this isn’t about scaring you with the pollution BoogeyMan. Rather, talking about microplastics is about arming you with the right kind of knowledge so that you can grow as a consumer and make smarter choices for yourself. Because oftentimes many of us can only afford the cheap option; buying sustainable and green can feel like a luxury reserved for the rich.

But while not every green or eco-friendly good may be universally accessible, being able to work within the confines of your socio-economic bubble is still a step in the right direction. So let’s start by approaching the most unavoidable and crucial element of your daily life… food.

How do microplastics get in our food?

I previously touched on microplastics in this post, but while that was a macro approach to the issue, this is more of a micro approach. The journey our food takes from the farm, or the ocean, to our tables is long and full of human manufacturing. Taking away the plastic waste created to package our food, the truth is that microplastics are so miniscule that they can penetrate the cells of fruits and vegetables. (So if you run into any smug vegetarians or vegans, remind them that we’re all in the same boat here.) When it comes to our meat—fish, beef, poultry—these animals often consume microplastics mistaking them for food. And you know what they say—you are what you eat.

Obviously, this wasn’t always an issue. Plastic was invented in the late 19^th century, and only really began to be mass produced in the 1960’s. Yet, because it can take centuries for even one water bottle to fully biodegrade, we’re consuming plastics from decades ago in today’s food chain. That’s why using BPA-free bottles is kind of moot. The microplastics you’re consuming probably came from an age before that kind of production regulation. And while trying to live a microplastic-free existence is basically impossible, there are definitive sources of the pollutant that outweigh others.

Can we avoid it? Some tips…

This first tip may seem like a no-brainer, but even I’m a slave of convenience sometimes; avoid drinking bottled water. Turns out that it’s the largest source of dietary microplastic! This is a fantastic time to invest in a glass or metal bottle, and maybe gift one to a loved one for the holidays.

Speaking of water, don’t drink tap. While I can’t vouch for other countries, if you live in the US you should definitely be filtering your water. While pollutants range from state to state, I think it’s safe to say that taking the extra step to purify your water can’t hurt.

Also try to avoid single use plastics in general, but especially in food packaging like the wrappers on meat and pasta. Don’t microwave in plastic when possible and try to transition to glass or metal containers when possible. While grocery items like cheese and milk do often have non-plastic options, it’s important to note these are usually more expensive alternatives to their plastic-packaged counterparts.

Avoid highly processed foods when possible as well. Besides the fact that all those artificial fillers are bad for you in general, the theory is that low-nutrition food can pair with the effects of microplastics to increase the likelihood of developing chronic health problems.

Overall, there’s simultaneously a million things and not a one that you can do to tackle your microplastic consumption. Real change comes from legislation, and with so much of the planet peppered with microplastics it’s doubtful a meaningful solution is just beyond the horizon. But you can advocate for that legislation, and when it does come up, make sure to vote.

Despite this grim assessment, you can still make changes to your own life and how you live it so that you’re doing your best to create a wholesome and healthy experience for yourself. Like everything in life, some things we can control, and others… Not so much.

5 Ingredients to Start Your Own Scrappy Kitchen

updated on February 3, 2023 by Mindy Chung

Who always feels guilty throwing away food scraps? Like not the gross, moldy bits, but potatoes that have grown eyes, or spinach that’s just a *smidge* too wilted? While composting may be the first thing most people consider when trying to reduce their food waste, it’s not always a realistic option if you live in smaller spaces or live in an area with limited resources.

That’s why I love the “scrappy cooking” series created by Carleigh AKA @plantyou on Tiktok.

Carleigh’s created a whole movement unconventionally repurposing the odds and ends we don’t quite want to waste in our kitchen, but also don’t want to necessarily eat either.

And while I’m all for a Tiktok binge, I’ve decided to save everyone some time and make a list of a few common groceries that I’m sure most, if not all, of us would love to repurpose the food scraps from!

how to repurpose food scraps

Potato, Po-tah-do

While the pronunciation of this spud may be the subject of heated debate, its versatility in the kitchen is not. If you happen to peel your potato—and want to cut down your food waste—you can either season and crisp them up into potato skins or freeze them in a bag of scrapes that you can boil into veggie broth later on.

If, however, your potatoes have grown too many eyes for safe consumption, you can cut them up and propagate them in a small container of water or soil to grow your own plant (space permitting)!

Onion

Cutting an onion may make you tear up, but the thought of wasting them doesn’t have to! Like potatoes, onion scraps can be saved and frozen to make a veggie broth, or you can propagate the ends in a small jar to grow your own plant.

For a fun DIY at home, you can also boil down the skins into a natural dye for fabric! Depending on the kind of onion and fiber you’re using, you’ll get anything from a pale yellow to bright orange or even pink.

Green Onion

Green onions are one of those great plants you can grow in the smallest of spaces. If you save the bulb end, instead of throwing them away, you can stick them in a jar and they’ll keep growing so you can snip a little to cook or garnish with here and there.

To reduce food waste, if you find yourself with too much green onion, you can freeze them to be used fresh later, or dehydrate them in your oven to use as a seasoning like oregano or thyme.

Lemon

It always feels like such a waste to have to throw lemon rinds away. Never again. Depending on what you’re looking for, you can make pickled lemons to top your salads, cocktails and more. For a sweeter twist, you can mix with an equal amount of sugar to create lemon cheong for a fantastic tea to fight off the winter chill. You can also dry your rinds and grind them up to make a lemon powder for cooking!

Or, for a non-edible zero-waste solution, you can mix lemon and vinegar to create an all-purpose household cleaning spray. The possibilities are endless.

Carrots

Did you know you can eat carrot tops? Carrot tops and parsley are actually in the same veggie family, and you can use them much in the same way. Blend them into sauces or mix into a salad and reap the same nutritional benefits!

You can also freeze any carrot scrapes to add to a veggie broth, or propagate the tops to begin growing your own carrots. And if you have just the skins, you can crisp them up in the oven for a vegan alternative to bacon (yum).

What do you do with your food scraps?

5 Vegetarian Food Brands That Focus on Sustainability

updated on May 24, 2023 by Mindy Chung

Does anyone else remember the absolute hullabaloo that accompanied the launch of the Impossible burger? (While I love that a convincing vegetarian-friendly alternative was created, the whole fake blood thing weirded me out.) Its introduction ushered us into a whole new chapter of consumerism around vegan and vegetarian food brands; suddenly, fast food chains like Burger King and Taco Bell were clamoring to jump on the bandwagon.

Truth be told I was never particularly interested in vegetarian alternatives growing up. I liked burgers, and steaks, and fish sticks; but a few years ago I got the Big Ick, and meat became unpalatable. I started exploring brands that I’d always seen but never tried, and in the process fell in love with companies like Boca and Quorn. (Which in turn made me try vegan cheeses and ice creams, but god I love dairy.)

And while the convenience and accessibility of these brands makes them appealing, constantly striving for a more sustainable lifestyle means critically assessing the invisible impact they may be having on the environment. You have to ask about production, and ask, what kind of packaging do these vegetarian food brands use? Are they recyclable, compostable, or made in some way to combat plastic-waste? What other sustainability efforts are they making?

Because, while going vegan may be better for the environment in comparison to the eating cows and chickens, if everyone is greenwashing their packaging, are we really making a difference?

eco friendly vegetarian food brands

That’s why I wanted to highlight companies I found to be going above and beyond simple performative gestures. So here’s a list of brands doing their part to build a business model that factors in sustainability and eco-friendly manufacturing!

No Evil Foods

While brands like Impossible and Beyond are dominating the plant-based meat alternative market, grassroots companies like No Evil Foods are pioneering the way to eliminating plastic and packaging waste in their products. No Evil Foods uses compostable materials, and is the first company to achieve a plastic-negative plant meat.

Tache

I think one of the most horrifying millennial revelations was finding out how bad almond milk actually is for the environment. And while I have a particular soft spot for oat milks in particular, I may have to try Tache to support a female-founded company that emphasizes sustainability with its less-impactful pistachio milk and recyclable packaging.

Urban Remedy

A Certified B Corp food company, Urban Remedy offers meals, snacks, and juices made in partnership with local farmers. They package in BPA-free bottles and containers that are recyclable, and upcycled 300 lbs. of organic pulp into Urban Remedy products in 2021.

Follow Your Heart

The creators of Vegenaise, Follow Your Heart has been striving for sustainability since its creation in 1970. They’re the first plant-based manufacturing facility in the US to achieve Platinum Level Zero Waste Certification by TRUE certification, and divert over 98% of their waste from landfills through recycling, composting, etc. Their dedication to sustainability has led them to continually prioritize solar power at their manufacturing plants, and they have over 2,000 panels creating over 300,000 kWH of green energy per year.

So Delicious

If you’re unlucky enough to be lactose-intolerant, chances are you’ve enjoyed one of So Delicious’ many dairy-free products. And while they’re already doing a stellar job expanding their products to include different alternative sources like oat, cashew and coconut milk, So Delicious has also dedicated itself to being a fully recyclable, reusable or compostable company by 2025. They currently use recycled paperboard and fiber in their packaging, and are also eco-conscious with where they source their ingredients from.

What other vegan or vegetarian food brands would you add to this list?

photos by Charity

5 Beautiful Pink Houseplants And How To Care For Them

updated on May 30, 2023 by Tatyana Thomas

Hey ecofam! It’s your favorite plant gal again. When we think of plants, we don’t usually think of pink, we think of green! Fortunately for lovers of candy-colored hues, there are so many beautiful varieties of plants that come in different shades of pink. Plus, they are super easy to take care of. Check out some of my favorite pink houseplants below, and let’s bring some spring color into these cool upcoming winter months…

Pink Princess Philodendron

photo by @plantsbybing

Yes, you read that right, the one true pink plant queen! Everyone is trying to get their hands on one right now. They grow super quick, are easy to propagate, and they have pink variegation! I just got my hands on a cutting from my local plant group, and I can’t wait to pot it up and let it grow up a pole. The Pink Princess Philodendron (PPP) grows best in bright, indirect, filtered light and medium to high humidity. So if you too are an Ikea greenhouse plant parent, the PPP will love you. She likes well-draining, moist soil, but be sure to only water when the top 1-2 inches is dry to avoid overwatering and root rot. Once your PPP starts growing, give her a moss pole to climb!

Tradescantia Nanouk aka Fantasy Venice

photo by @plnt.co

The Tradescantia Nanouk also known as the fantasy Venice is a great starter plant. This pink, purple, and green plant grows really well in bright light! They don’t need much humidity because of their thick leaves. BUT, she will thrive in a humid environment. Bring her into your bathroom while you shower, and she will live her best life. She likes to be in moist soil, so watering once a week is perfect. Place her into a hanging basket and watch her grow!

Calathea Roseopicta Rosy aka Rose Painted Calathea

photo by @lolaflora.roslinna

Okay greenhouse parents, here is a high humidity plant that you will love. Don’t worry if you don’t have a greenhouse, spritzing the leaves throughout the day will work. Most calatheas are very vocal when they need help. Their edges will get crispy, and they will curl up. As for light, they thrive in bright indirect light. Too bright and the leaves will burn. Too dark and they will droop. They really love moist soil, so watering often is necessary. To avoid fungus gnats from wet soil, try mosquito bits and cinnamon. Once you perfect your calathea care routine, you will want every kind you can find.

Pink Rubber Plant aka Ficus Elastica Ruby

photo by @roomwithry

Dear new plant parents, the Pink Rubber Plant is for you! Coming from experience, this plant likes to be neglected. I was over watering and it was struggling. I let the soil dry out, and put her closer to the window, and now she won’t stop growing. So learn from me, and water only when dry. During the winter, wait even longer between waterings. In the summer, add some fertilizer to their watering schedule, and watch her grow!

Polka Dot Plant aka Hypoestes Phyllostachya

photo by @plant.the.town.pink

And last but not least the most famous of all pink houseplants, the beloved Polka Dot Plant! This plant is pink with green (polka) dots, and can grow both indoors and outdoors. For indoors, put her near the window, to catch some bright filtered rays between your blinds. Once the leaves start fading, be sure to move her away from the window. Well-draining soil that is slightly moist will work best. Avoid soggy soil so that the roots don’t rot. Spritz the leaves throughout the day to simulate a humid environment.

Remember that as it gets cool outside, plant care is especially important. Water less, and put your plants closer together to keep them warm. And be sure to check out my last plant post to find some eco-friendly plant supplies!

What pink houseplants do you have your eye on?

Sustainable Houseplant Supplies to Green Your Indoor Jungle

updated on May 30, 2023 by Tatyana Thomas

Hi! My name is Tatyana (or Tat for short). This is my first plant post, and I am excited to bring you fun plant content! I have about 60+ houseplant in my loft, and my collection continues to grow!

Am I the only one who just can’t stop buying plants? It has gotten to the point that I come home multiple times a week with a new plant child… And all of these new babies need homes, so my next outing is usually the thrift shop to find unique planters. Then, it’s looking online for sustainable houseplant supplies to keep everything fresh and thriving. Here are a few of my top reccs!

From top to bottom, left to right: Blush Ceramic Watering Can from Eco Vibe, Grow with Noot, Den Sustainable Plant Food, Pot of Gold Hanging Planter from Holistic Habitat, Den Sustainable Cactus Soil Mix, Bloomscape Eco Pot Round Pots, Bloom Plant Nutrient, Eucalyptus Hydroponic Planter from Earth Hero, Paper Bag Planter from Uashmama, Plantopedia: The Definitive Guide to Houseplants, Shell on Earth, TECTLE Plant Based Pot, Propagation Gift Set, Whitewash Planters from Bloomist, Peat Free People Tote Bag

Some of my other interests are roller skating, decorating, and thrifting. Like I said, my favorite things to thrift are planters… On any given day, you can find the most unique, and coolest planters, at your local thrift store. There are also tons of eco-friendly accessories that you will love, and your plants will love even more out there. From fertilizer to totes to the cutest plant stands the picks above are sure to make your at-home jungle even more impressive.

Lastly, I know that it’s important to look into the sustainability of your houseplants themselves! Check out this post to learn more about the most eco friendly plants.

What is your must-have plant accessory? Have you tried sustainable houseplant supplies?